Best Friend
by I-Believe-In-The-Butterflies
Summary: Seth And Captain Oats. One Shot.


Author's Note: This is just a fairly long one-shot about Seth, growing up and what-not. Writing this for my best friend, because she loves Seth Cohen…I love you Cat!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Only in my dreams…

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Being 6 years old was hard without a best friend…

Seth Cohen walked through the isles of the toy store, looking for something that he didn't already have.

His Grandpa was impatiently waiting for him to grab "Something, anything…just make it quick."

But Seth Cohen wasn't much of an impulse shopper. He liked to look at the back of the box. He liked to read about all the things the new toy could do. He wanted to make sure that he would like this toy for at least a week.

Going down the isle with the stuffed animals for the 5th time, he stumbled upon a weird looking box. Picking up the box, he found what he was looking for.

It wasn't much. Anyone else who saw the Plastic Horse would think it was cheap, and lame, and not worth the 8 dollars they were asking for it.

But Seth Cohen saw a friend. He saw someone to talk to when his parents fought. Someone to go to when the world seemed against him.

Walking over to his Grandpa, he lifted the box over his head. "Can I get this Grandpa?" He asked.

"That's what you want? I told you that you could get anything. You don't want something better?" Caleb questioned.

"This is what I want."

"Okay."

Seth couldn't wait to rip the box that contained his new friend apart. He wanted to hold his friend, talk to him, and not have the plastic covering suffocating him.

As soon as the door to his house opened, Seth ran all the way up to his room to open his horse. He ignored the comments from his parents…deciding that his Grandpa could explain.

Shutting his bedroom door behind him, he sat in the middle of his blue carpet.

He smiled cheesily at the contained horse.

He ripped the box off in a matter of seconds, and discarded it a few feet away from where he was sitting.

Deciding that he wanted to play Pirates with his new best friend, he got his costume out of his toy box. Putting the patch over his eye, throwing the cape around his shoulders and tying it, and then getting his sword out, he started to yell for the horse to tighten the sails…

Then he realized that his new friend didn't have a name. He was just a Plastic Horse.

Sitting down, he contemplated on names for the horse. Mr. Oats…no. Captain Ed…no. Stripe…no way. Buckeye Blacksmith…no.

Then it came to him. Captain Oats!

His new best friend would be named Captain Oats.

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Being 9 years old was too complicated…

Seth Cohen sat alone at his lunch table in Elementary School. Picking through his food, he decided that his mom would never pack his lunch again.

Shutting his Batman lunchbox, he sighed.

Everyone but him had a friend to sit with, to share their lunch with, and to talk to.

All he had was a stupid Plastic Horse that couldn't even respond when he talked to it.

But right now, he'd do anything to be home, playing with Captain Oats.

His parents kept telling him that he was too old to take The Captain to school with him. He never believed them. But then one day, Luke Ward saw the horse in Seth's backpack.

Luke and all his friends played 'Keep Away' with Seth's best friend, and after they got in trouble and had to give Oats back, they teased Seth for being a baby. "Baby need his Horsie to make it all better?" The boys teased and laughed.

Seth didn't take Captain Oats back to school after that.

Instead, he sat alone at lunch, and never talked to anyone.

They didn't matter anyway.

None of them could even compare to Captain Oats.

The bell rang for recess and Seth slowly walked outside.

Sitting on the swings that no one played on, he thought of running away.

But he couldn't run away yet. Captain was at home, on top of his nightstand.

Running away would have to wait for another day.

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Being 12 years old got you in a lot of trouble…

Seth Cohen was waiting for his parents to arrive.

They had let him see a movie by himself for the 1st time.

He had chosen a movie that he knew none of his peers would go see.

But now, it was getting late, dark even, and neither of his parents were there to pick him up.

He sat down on a nearby bench. He took his CD player out and pushed 'play'.

His headphones were too loud to hear the taunts of his peers behind him. They, too, went to see a movie today.

Luke came up behind Seth and pushed him forward, causing his CD player to fly out of his hands and crash on the cement. The player crashed open and out came the CD he was listening to as well.

One of Luke's buddies picked up Seth's player, along with his CD.

"Let's see what the queer listens to." The guy said. "Death Cab For Cutie. What the fuck, man." The guy laughed and threw the disk to Luke.

Luke was holding Seth down with one hand, and he caught the CD with the other. "Something About Airplanes. God, Cohen, you listen to some gay ass music." Luke replied. "Not that I wouldn't expect it from you."

"Hey. What are you guys doing?" Came a girl's voice.

Seth turned around to see Marissa Cooper coming near them.

"Nothing babe. Just havin' a little fun with the geek." Luke replied, taking his hand off of Seth and wrapping it around Marissa.

Luke had been pushing down hard on Seth's shoulder. Seth was sure that he was going to have a bruise.

Then she came into Seth's view. Looking completely annoyed and bored. Summer Roberts. She made eye contact with Seth, then looked at the boys crowded around him. "You guys…leave him alone. He has to deal with this enough…being a geek and all."

In her own little way, Summer Roberts just took up for Seth Cohen.

The guy with Seth's CD player handed it back to him and Luke gave Seth his Death Cab CD back.

"Alright. I bet the geek's parents will be here soon to get him anyways." Luke and his friends laughed and started walking away.

Summer stayed behind a little though, she turned and gave Seth a half smile. His heart melted. He was in love.

When the others were justout of sight, his dad pulled up in the car. "Sorry I'm late kiddo. Had a meeting and stuff…" Sandy started to explain, but Seth wasn't listening.

The door to Seth's room flew open and it shut just as quickly.

Seth practically ran to his nightstand and picked up his horse.

"Captain Oats…buddy…have I got a story for you…" Seth started, fully aware that his best friend was completely listening to everything he said about Summer Roberts.

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Being 15 years old completely sucked…

Seth Cohen wrote down a suicide note for his parents. He folded it neatly, and sat it down on his nightstand by his best friend.

Not that his parents would care if he killed himself or even wonder why. They were too worked up in their own lives to notice him.

Summer Roberts, the love of his life, didn't even know he existed.

And his best friend was a damn Plastic Horse he got when he was 6 years old.

He had nothing to live for. So what did it matter.

Everyday he was tortured at school by the Water Polo Players, and everyday he thought of new ways to kill himself.

Today's way would be to slit his wrists with the exacto knife he had borrowed from the Art teacher.

He sighed heavily, Papa Roach's "Last Resort" blaring through the speakers of his radio. This was it.

"This is it, buddy. I'm leaving you. But don't worry…I'm sure they'll bury you with me and everything…I mean if you want to be buried with me."

He picked up the Plastic Horse. The one friend he'd ever truly had. The only one who'd ever listen to him. "I'm sorry about this, Captain. I just think that it's better this way."

Seth put The Captain down on his comforter. He picked up the knife and put it to his wrist. He pressed down.

But The Captain kept looking at him. Begging him not to do what he was about to do.

Seth dropped the knife and grabbed Captain Oats. Tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" He kept repeating over and over to his best friend.

As much as he wanted to end his life right now, he couldn't do it with The Captain's eyes staring into him.

The Plastic Horse told Seth that things would get better. He wouldn't be sad anymore, and soon everything would turn out the way Seth always wanted them to…and for some odd reason,Seth believed him.

Seth stood up from his bed and threw away the suicide note. He turned off the blaring stereo.

Right now he just needed to be happy. And there was only one thing that could make him happy at a time like this.

He sat The Captain back in his spot and went to his closet.

Searching through some of his old stuff, he found what he was looking for.

He wiped the tears out of his eyes and wrapped his cape around his shoulders. He then put his patch over his eye and held up his sword. "Aye Aye Captain! Let's sail the 7 Seas!" Seth called out to Captain Oats, who stood smiling at Seth, thankful that his best friend still played such games with him.

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Being 18 years old ended childhood…

Seth Cohen walked lazily with his girlfriend, Summer, his brother, Ryan, and his best friend, Marissa, on the sand.

They were all talking about college and where they'd like to go…and how they'd get there. Well 3 of them were…

Seth Cohen was thinking back on his childhood. The one that was filled with sadness, pain, and confusion. The one that he'd do anything to go back to right now. Because he didn't want to be an adult.

When he was a child, he could count on a Plastic Horse to always be by his side, and always listen. Now, it seemed way too childish to talk to The Captain.

He still did it though. Like when Ryan was off with Marissa…and him and Summer were having their fight of the day. Captain Oats was always there to listen.

His Pirate costume was discarded long ago, around the time he turned 16, along with all his other childhood things. But The Captain stayed.

Seth made sure of it. He'd never send his horse away. That was a promise.

"Cohen…are you listening?" Summer interrupted his thoughts.

Seth smiled…and looked down. "Not really, sorry…I was thinking of something else…"

Summer smirked at him. "Like what?"

"Plenty of things, my dear…"

Summer leaned up and kissed him.

Laying on his bed, later that night, Seth held his Plastic Horse in his hands. "I'll be going off to college soon buddy. I'm not sure if it's going to be such a safe place for you."

The Captain frowned.

"No. I'm not trying to ditch you Oats…I just, well…I don't think college is the right place for you. You belong here."

Captain Oats understood.

Sure. In a way, he knew Seth just didn't want to take him to college with him, and set him on his new nightstand…because he was probably afraid of who might see that the 18 year old still had some 6 year old left in him.

But there was also the fact that Seth knew if The Captain came with him…he might never come back to Newport. He would leave and never look back.

So The Captain was satisfied with staying.

And Seth knew that he'd have to come back to see The Captain, because he made a promise. Just like Oats had made a promise.

Seth had promised that he'd never leave Oats, or sell him, or discard him.

Oats had made the promise that Seth would be happy one day, and that everything would get better for him. That was 3 years ago, and The Captain totally kept his promise.

Because now, Seth had friends. He had the girl of his dreams as his girlfriend, and he had a brother.

But no one could take the place of his best friend.

Captain Oats was one of a kind. A true Hero to Seth.

Someone he could always count on.

Captain Oats was Seth's best friend…and that was something that not even tons of years could change…not even growing into manhood could take away.

End.

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Ending Note: Hope you liked it. When I started writing, I thought it would be different than this…but this is what came out.

If you read, I hope you'll review. Please.

You Guys Rock!


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